1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to dulled covered wire, covered stranded conductor, covered stranded wire rope, and sheathed individually insulated multiconductors. Such comprises plastic covered electrical or communication conductor, whether solid or stranded wire, single, duplex or multiplex, or metal and electrical or fiber optic light wave dulled or non-specular sheathed factory assembly of one or more conductors each individually insulated and enclosed in the continuous sheath for telephone or communications, said conductors being either metal or fiber glass, and said sheath being either rubber, thermo-plastic, compressed mineral, or metal. This invention also comprises dulled stranded together bare ground strand and covered stranded for electrical service drop for homes and buildings. This invention provides better acceptance of such articles, and comprises both the articles of manufacture and the making of same.
2. Description of Prior Art
The public generally does not like to see overhead telephone or electric service lines coming into their homes. They would prefer them to be invisable and buried. Similar objections have been made to covered communication and power lines, and sheath covered telephone and power cable on streets, highways, and cross-country. Similar objections have been made to covered wire rope and cable used for strength rather than electrical or light wave conducting.
Before this invention the products herein had a shiny exterior surface when manufacture of the covered products were completed, and also when the products were first installed and then for years thereafter. It took many years for the shiny reflective exterior surface of outdoor overhead installed covered conductor products or covered wire rope products to dull by weathering and become less conspicuous.
Clear plastic ages and deteriorates when exposed outdoors to the ultraviolet rays of the sun. Gray colored pigment or less expensive lamp black mixed with clear plastic lessens deterioration from sunlight and is widely used for the cover, jacket, or sheath of electrical conductors, cable and steel wire products. The word cover is used herein to also mean outer or exterior layer, or jacket, or sheath; and the word conductor is also used herein to include the word cable.
It is old art to make the cover of said products in various colors for ready means of identification and distinguishing within groups of products.
It is likewise old art that said products are often colored for appearance purposes.
It has not, however, been a function of any step in the prior art of making said products to make the outer surface of the products non-specular or dulled.
The prior art has not combined for these prior covered products the color of the material of the exterior covering with a purposeful surface finish to produce a non-specular covered product.
In the prior art such products are more conspicuous to the public when first erected in public view, causing a public prejudice thereto. Such prejudice has heretofore even prevented outdoor installation or caused the covered products to be buried from public view.